Timer and switch arrangement for internal-combustion engines.



J. M. RHETT. TIMER AND SWITCH ARRANGEMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 27, 1911.

1 054 240 Patented Feb, 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. M. RHETT. TIMER AND SWITCH ARRANGEMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION I'ILED' NOV. 27, I911.

1,054,24o. Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

I 2 SHEETS-*SHEET 2.

JAMES 'M. RHETT, F BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA.

TIMER SWITCH- ARRANGEMENT FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, James M. RHETT, a

' citizen of the United States. residing at Beaufort, in the county of Beaufort and State of South Carolina, haveeinvented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Timer and Switch Arrangement for Internal-Combustion Engines; and, I do hereby" declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to-which it a pertains to make and use the same.

- lie resent invention relates to means for timing the sparks whereby explosions are produced in gasolene and other internal combustion engines, for the purpose of controlling the power and speed thereof.

*It is one of the advantages of my invention that it makes it possible to accomplish the ends above named by means which are not subjected to the wear and tear of manual operation, thereby securing superior accu:

racy and efliciency of electric contacts. This produces a more durable device and more accurately timed ignition.

Another advantage of this invention is that it makes it possible to instantly and accurately adjust the time of spark occurrence by means of a switch, which may be located in any convenient position; as, for instance, the bow of a motor boat. This feature renders it unnecessary for the operator to go .to the engine when he wishes to alter its speed or' power.

I While the invention is particularly useful in motor boats and the like, it is equally ca-. pable of use in connection with motor cars or even. with stationary engines.

Certain features of the invention are useful with a one-cylinder engine, but in its preferred form, my improvement is intend I ed for use with engines having any number of cylinders. Therefore, it is to be understood that, although'I have illustrated my invention as adapted to a four-cylinder engine, a simple modification for engines hav- "mg more or less than four cylinders will be obvious to those skilled in the art andwill be covered by my claims.

The preferred .form' of my invention which I have selected for illustration of its.

characteristics is shown in the accompanymg drawings, WhGI81I1-- F1 re 1 1s a diagram showing a relative l0Cfli310I1 of the various parts which will be found convenient in a motor boat, Fig. 2 is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 27, 1911. Serial No. 662,759.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

'a diagram of the electric circuits employed? Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the timer an its case, Fig. 4 is a view, partly in horizontal section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3, and partly in plan, of the timer with the top cover and insulating contact disk removed, Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectionof the timer onthe line 55 in- Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a vertical sec- 'tion through the middle of the controlling switch.

In its simplest form (suitable for a oneusually comprising spark coils and sparking plugs.

In its more developed embodiment, however, my invention comprises further an an tomatic distributerywhereby the time-selecting functions carried out by the selecting switches are made available in proper se quence in a plurality of engine cylinders. This more developed form is the one illustra'ted.

. In the specific form shown, the automatic selecting switch and the automatic distributer are clearly associated within the body of a single convenient apparatuswhich may be termed the timer This device as shown in Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawings comprises an outercasing 10, surrounding a core or body 11 of insulating'material, made annular in shape and surrounding a central cylindrical space within which revolve the movable parts of the timer. A cover 12 maybe applied over the whole. The selecting switch and distributer are placed the one over the other within the timer, and in the preferred arrangement shown, the selective switch is placed above the distributer.

The selective switch comprises preferably a central revoluble hub 13, carrying radial arms 14, within which are carried. contact balls 15, n'ormally'urged outward by suitable springs 16, all combined with a circular series of fixed contact pieces numbered successively 1, 5, 2, 6, 3, 7, 4 in Fig. 4. The switch thus arranged is adapted to make efficient electric connection between the hub 13 and each of the fixed contacts in the order of the numerals applied to them in Fig. 4; and this is accomplished as many times for each revolution of the hub 13 as there are arms 14. In the particular form shown this number is four, and it will always be equal to the number of cylinders in the engine for which the timer is intended. The production of the connections in the order named is brought about by the fact that the circle is divided by the fixed contact pieces into a number of equal arcs not divisible by the number of the arms 14. The number seven, being a prime number, and afiording a convenient range for selective timing, I have shown seven fixed contact pieces in my preferred switch. It is clear from inspection of Fig. 4 that, in the time any one ball passes from one fixed pieces have been touched by oneor the other caps.

contact piece to the next,'all of the contactof theballs, and that such contacts occur in the order of the numerals applled to the fixed contact pieces in Fig. 4. The hub 13 is fixed upon a timer shaft 17 which is axially located within the timer, and is rotated at u suitablespeed from the engine ltself in any manner whereby one revolution of the timer shaft corresponds to one explosion in all the cylinders of the'engine.

When more than one cylinder 'isemployed on the engine, a distributer must be en 1- ployed, whereby the seven successive electric contacts produced in the selective switch may be made to correspond to one cyllnder at a time, and to one cylinder-after the other in appropriate-order. For this purpose the automatic distributer is provided, and I prefer to arrange this in the convenient and compact form shown in the drawings, wherein the distributer is directly actuated by the same timer shaft 17, that actuates the automatic selective switch. In the preferred form shown the distributer comprises four fixed contact devices (one for each arm 14 in the switch) symmetrically disposed around a rotatable contact arm fixed upon the timer shaft 17. I prefer toemploy contact balls 18, within suitable metal holders 19, containing springs 20,,which act to press the balls inward agains a rotary insulating disk 21 fixed upon a timer shaft '17. The

distributer arm 22 is carried by this-disk and connected electrically to the hub 13. This connection is preferably secured by connecting both the arm 22 and the hub 13 to the timer shaft 17. The peripheral surface of the arm 22 is extended sufliciently so that it breaks contact with one ball 18 just before making contact with the next, and so that contact with each ball is prolonged during the period that the entire seven successive contacts are made in the automatic selective switch. In the form shown, each spring 20 is confined by a screw cap 23, whereby the. tension of the spring may be easily adjusted, and the threaded terminals 24, for facilitating connection with external wires are preferably mounted upon these noeaa eo such as the lug or projection 26, for pre- 7 venting rotation of the timer upon the bracket.

For convenience in making proper external connections, I prefer to place an insulating disk 27 within the timer casing over the selective switch, upon which are mounted upright terminals 28, electrically connected respectively with the seven fixed terminals 1,5, 2, 6, 3, 7 and 4, either by screws 29 or"otherwise. The external connecting wires, carried by the cable 30 '(Fig. 1) may be carried down through the opening 31 andibe suitably connected with the terminals 28. The manual switch 32 is connected in a suitable manner at the opposite end of the cable 30, and may have any convenient location; for instance in the bow of the boat 33 (Fig. 1). Here the engine cylinders are indicated at 34 and the usual flywheel at 35. This manual switch may take a variety of forms which will suggest themselves to those skilled in .the art, and I have shown, as an example, the construction illus trated in Figs. 2 and 6. The switch base is shown at 36 and a cover 37, carried thereby,

serves to protect the switch proper. -The whose extremity may be made to slide over the circularly disposed series of fixed contact'pieces 43, mounted on the insulatin sector 44. This movement is accomplishe by means of the handle 39. Beginning at the left in Fig. 2, the contact pieces"43"are. connected respectively by external wires 44,

and by means of the terminals 28, to the fixed contact pieces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.0f the automatic switch in the timer. One terminal of the battery 45 or other suitable source of electricity is connected, by wire 46, to the stud 40 and arm 42, and the terminals 24 of the timer are connected, by wires 47, through the spark coils 48, to the spark. plugs of the 7 respective cylinders. The wires 49 and 50 supply the common return throughthe spark coils. The fixed terminal 43 at one end of the manual switch series,

for instance on the left in Fig. 3, come sponds to the extreme retard of the switch, while the contact piece at the opposite end of the series corresponds tothe extreme ad-' Vance. Intermediate conditions. are obtained by placing the switch upon intermediate contact pieces, and I prefer. to make the arm 42 just broad enough to reach from one contact piece 43 to the next, so as never a question.

to break circuit entirely in the manual I switch.

The operation of the device is as follows. Assuming the engine to be running, the circuit causing the spark will only be closed in any given cylinder, at the moment when two conditions coincide within the timer. First, the periphery of the arm 22 must be in con.- tact with the particular ball 18 which is connected by a wire 47 with the cylinder in Second, the hub 18'must..be in... electric connect-ion through one of the arms 14. with the particular fixed contact piece 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 which is connected by wire v4:4 with the particular. contact piece 43' which is. in circuit at the time. It follows, therefore, that the'position of the lever 42 and handle 39 will always determine the instant of time, with relation to the movement of the timer shaft 17, when a spark occurs. It is also evident that this relation of time will be established for all the cylinders, and the proper sequence in thelr action will be preserved. 7

Many changes may be made Inf-b60011- struct-ion and arrangement of my improve ment, and of its various parts, and'I 0 not limit myself to the details herein shown and described.

What I claim is 1. A spark timing device for internal combustion engines, comprising in combination a manual selective switch, an automatic se-' lective switch, suitable means for electrically connecting said switches to each other and to said engine, and means actuated by the engine for operating said automat-1c -selective switch, substantially as described.

2. A spark timing device for multiplecylinder internal combustion engines comprising in combination a manual select ve switch, an automatic selective switch, a d1stributer, suitable means for electrically connecting said switches and distributer to each other and to the engine, and means actuated by the enginefor o crating said automatic selective switch and said distributer, substantially as described.

3. A spark timing device for multiplecylinder internal combustion engines comprising in combination an automatic selective switch and a distributer mounted together near the engine, a manual selective switch conveniently placed at a distance from the engine, means for electrically connecting said switches and said distributer to each other and to the engine, and means actuated by the engine for operating said automatic selective switch and said distribu'-' ter, substantially as described.

4. In a spark timing device, an automatic selective switch comprising a rotary member having a number of contact arms, means actuated by the engine for rotating the same,

and a circular series of fixed contact pieces arranged around said arms and adapted to successively make contact therewith, the number of said contact pieces being ind1- visible by the number of said arms, substantially as described.

5. In a spark timing device, an automatlc. selective switch comprising a rotary memher having a number of contact arms, means actliated by the en ine for rotating the same, and a plurality 0 contact pieces arranged in a circular series around said rotary member, the number of said arms having no plural factor in common with the number of said contact pieces, substantially as described.

6. In -a spark timing device for internal I combustion engines, a manual selective switch arranged for closing" any one of a number of circuits at will, an automatic selective switch, adapted to successively close an equal number of circuits, means for electrically connecting said. switches with each other and with the engine, and means actuated by the engine for operating said auto:

matic switch, substantially as described.

7 In a spark timing device for multiple cylinder internal combustion engines, a manual selective switch having a number of fixed contact pieces, an automatic selective switch having an equal number of fixed contact pieces and comprising a rotary member having as many contact arms as there are cylinders in the engine, an automatic distributer connected electrically with said automatic switch, electric connections between the fixed contact pieces on the manual switch and those on the automatic switch, and means actuated by the engine for operating said automatic switch and said distributer, substantially as described.

8. In a spark timing device for internal combustion engines having a plurality of cylinders, a timer comprising a timer shaft, an automatic switch having contact arms mounted upon said timer shaft, and a distributer having an arm mounted upon said shaft and electrically connected to said arms, substantially as described.

9. In a spark timing device for internal combustion engines having a plurality of cyl- .distributer comprising an arm mounted upon said shaft and electrically connected with said arms, and also comprising as many fixed contacts as the engine has cylinders, substantially as described.

10. In a spark timing device for internal combustion engines having a plurality of cylinders, a timer comprising a timer shaft, a hub fast thereto having as many radial hollow arms as the engine has 0 linders,

contact balls and springs in said arms, fixed contact pieces trranged around said arms, a distributing rm fast on said timer shaft and electrically connected to said hub and arms, and a number of fixed contact points equal to the number of cylinders on the englne, arranged to make successive contact with said distributer arm as it-rotates, substantially as described. I

11. In a device of the class described, a timer comprising a timingrod adapted to rotate, an automatic selective switch having Oopiesof this patent may be obtained tor aosasso In testimony whereof, afiix my signa-. ture, in presence of two wltnesses.

JAMES RHETT.

Witnesses:

W. L. SHoTswELL,

DANIEL MANN.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

